Dinner and Fists Through a Wall
Title: Dinner and Fists Through a Wall Players: Heather O'Leary, Elizabeth Maxwell, Juliet Parrish, Michael Donovan, Pyotr Zagadka, Martin Grace, and Alexis Ayala Location: Maxwell Ranch Synopsis: What starts out as a supper for the kids, turns into a kitchen confrontation between the most stubborn women in the Resistance! LOG BEGINS Heather O'Leary is in the kitchen. Amanda is in a high chair, while Josh is sitting at the table, eating homemade Chicken Strips. Heather is using the deep fryer to make more nuggets, while a pile of Lettuce, Carrots and various meats are sitting next to the cutting board and a knife. Other Salad stuff, like Cheese, Croutons, and Bacon Bits, along with 2 hard boiled eggs, are nearby as well. Elizabeth Maxwell pokes her head in from the dining room, and looks around. "Hmm... I smell food cooking..." She grins a little bit, slipping over to Heather and hugging. Heather O'Leary chuckles, and leans into the hug. Josh is munching happily and nods, "Uh huh. Heaher made nugts!" Amanda, meanwhile, is happily sitting in the chair, a bowl of Baby Rice mixed with a little fruit Baby Food, for taste, sitting on the counter near the chair. Heather slips her hand to the bowl, and uses a spoon to feed Amanda a bit. To Liz, she asks, "Hungry? Plenty being made." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles a little bit at Josh, and nods, then smiling to Heather and kissing happily. "Sure, if there's a lot being made..." Then she smiles at Amanda being fed, kneeling down to not look threatening and smiling brightly at her. "Hi there..." Amanda giggles at Liz, and tries to take Elizabeth's nose in her hands. Heather asks, "Could you feed her when her mouth is empty?" She winks. Elizabeth Maxwell smiles and moves in closer, so she can get the nose in her hands. "Sure..." She gets the bowl from the counter, and watches for that, letting her hold the nose all the while. Heather O'Leary chuckles at the two girls in her life, and than begins to cut of the Lettuce for her 'Monster Salad'. In the end, it will serve four people, normally, but Heather plans on eating it alone. She needs the food in her stomach, to help her recover, both from the shoulder wound, and other things, but also, still wants to eat healthy, as her body is no longer so extremely thin. Her ribs barely show through her skin anymore. Maybe that is the muscle mass being built back up, or is it fat? Elizabeth Maxwell smiles at Heather, though, if her nose is still being held, it's partly hidden. She offers another spoon full of food to Amanda, smiling and gently touching the little girl's cheek softly. Heather O'Leary shakes her head at the girls, and places all the lettuce cut, into a bowl, a big bowl. She starts in on the Carrots. 4 Big Carrots. Yum. Amanda has released Elizabeth's nose, only because food is shoveled into her mouth. She seems to enjoy this meal more than the bottle Formula. Alexis Ayala wanders into the kitchen, wearing her fatigues as seems to have become usual for her. "Hello, Elizabeth, Heather, how are you Heather?" she says, looking around a bit after wandering in from the Dining Room. Elizabeth Maxwell smiles up at Heather again, still tending the little baby in the high chair at the table. At least the 2 year old is quiet and eating... "Hi there, Alex." Heather O'Leary is slicing Carrots, to place in the rather large bowl of Lettuce, while some Chicken is frying in the deep fryer. Amanda, the 6 month old little girl Heather has adopted is being fed a Rice/Baby fruit mixture, from time to time, and Josh is eating the chicken strips Heather has been making for a bit. She smiles at Alex, "Not bad. hungry? Homemade Chicken Strips and Homemade Fries... Got plenty." She indicates the oven, which is set to warm, and holds two large pans, one over flowing with 'French Fries', and the other mostly full of Chicken Strips. Alexis Ayala looks to Elizabeth, watching the two year old for a few moments, and looking back to Heather, she smiles and nods, "That sounds pretty good..." she says, looking to the foods, "Thank you, happy to know you are well." she looks to Elizabeth once more, "how are you?" Elizabeth Maxwell smiles a little and shrugs. "I'm just fine, thanks. How are you doing?" She rubs Amanda's chin slightly, and offers her another bite of food. Little Amanda coos as she's fed, wagging her tiny arms a little bit and eating. Heather O'Leary nods slightly, and checks the Chicken Strips. She nods slightly, and pulls them out. Anyone that knows Heather, and how she cooks, would know that she uses only the Low-Fat, Low-Calorie oil, so shouldn't be surprised when she removes the chicken strips from the fryer, and begins to slice them. Since there is other Strips and Fries remaining warm, in the oven, there is plenty of food for half an army... well, at least 20 people, easily. She slices the freshly finished Chicken strips, after turning off the fryer, and than places the strips on her 'large' salad. To which she adds two sliced eggs, and some diced ham. Martin Grace says, "Leave the oil out," as he enters the kitchen, tugging a small plastic sack. "I've got something I want to heat up when you're done cooking." Josh calls out, "Heaher? 'Nother nugt? Fies too?" Elizabeth Maxwell glances up at Martin and smiles, waving happily. "Hi Martin." She strokes Amanda again, and offers her another bite of food. Heather O'Leary smiles at Martin, and nods, "Sure. The Canola's still hot enough, to cook with..." She adds croutons and a handful of cheddar. She places two Chicken Strips on Josh's Plate, and a small handful of fries... Which she might steal a couple of. She than adds fresh ground Parmasian Cheese, and a little Dressing. Before she eats, she puts everything away, and cleans the cutting board and knife. She grabs her bottle of soda, and sits down next to Josh. "Martin," She asks, "Have you met my... the kids?" Yes, Heather is already very attached to the youngsters, and has even convinced Ham to give up his room For them. Martin Grace says, "Uh, no, I can't say that I have." Hence the surprise. "Uh, hi, kids." Josh looks at Martin, "I Joshwa... I 2. 'Manda's me sisser. She's no 6. Mommy and Daddy are sleeping in Hea'n w' God." He smiles at Heather, "Heaher? You my Mommy now?" Elizabeth Maxwell raises her eyebrows a little at Heather, smiling just a little, and tickling her under the table. Martin Grace pauses for a few moments to put that together, since he is not entirely fluent in 'toddler'. Reflexively, however, he nods. Heather O'Leary mutters, "Well, introductions just became irrelevant..." She looks at Martin, as he pauses, and smiles. When Martin nods, "Yeah, this is Josh, that's Amanda..." She has gotten good at translating, than she looks at Josh, "Josh, honey... I don't know. It might..." How do you explain to a two year old that the Ranch could turn into a war zone... especially when you yourself, don't want the children to leave? Alexis Ayala smiles and giggles at the little ones, and Martin just a bit. She watches the cooking, "Is everyone going to eat in the Kitchen?" Martin Grace says, "Don't look at me," to Alexis. "I'm waiting for my turn to cook. Got some homemade arepas to fry up in a pan." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles a little at the kids, and at Heather, laughing a little bit, and glancing about, raising her eyebrows at Alex. "Well, Since there's room, might as well..." Then she glances back to Heather, and her expression suddenly brightens a little bit. Josh says happily, "You momma..." to Heather, and begins to munch on his second Chicken strip. Elizabeth Maxwell's voice slips into Heather's mind quietly. "I just realized... we don't know the kids last names, or where they lived, and they're war orphans... You could probably file adoption papers and get them approved when we're in New York... Then Ryan couldn't say anything, right?" Alexis Ayala hmms, and smiles, moving to take a seat and then blinking, "I guess, I'll just serve myself? Where can I find plates?"" Heather O'Leary nods slightly at Elizabeth, and says softly to Josh, "We'll see..." She looks at Martin, and smiles, "Kitchen is yours...." To Alex, she motions to the corner cabinet, "Plates are in there. Food's in the Oven. Homemade Honey-Mustard and Ranch sauces in two bowls in the Fridge." Martin Grace says, "Thank you. I try not to keep fresh arepas waiting." Elizabeth Maxwell glances up at Martin and smiles. "Enjoy your cooking..." She smiles, feeding Amanda the last bite of food from the bowl, and wiping her chin slightly with a napkin, reaching her other hand under the table to pet Heather's leg, smiling at her. Martin Grace does so, heating up some oil on a griddle and placing four medium-sized arepas to the heat. Oh, yes, a greasy, cheesy cholesterol laden mess will soon start a'sizzlin'. Alexis Ayala moves to get a plate, nodding to Heather, "Thank you." she says, moving to serve herself to some fries and chicken. She moves over to get herself a seat, smiling warmly, "Food." she says, and grins. Heather O'Leary chuckles softly, "Well, between Martin and myself, we have to be the best fed Resistance Group in the country, except White Christmas... They have that Italian Restaurant as their 'base'." Not that the New York Resistance really needs a base. Martin Grace says, "Don't kid yourself," without turning from the griddle. "We probably eat better. The problem with most Italian chefs is that they don't want to learn to cook anything else." Heather O'Leary chuckles, "Well... Maybe." She, while raised on Irish foods, has expanded herself into Americana and Italian, with a side of Middle Eastern. Alexis Ayala hmms, and starts to nibble on the chicken, and then the fries, and the blinks, pausing for a few moments, "Excuse me." she says, getting up to get a drink for herself. Martin Grace is standing at the stove, working some cornmeal on the griddle. Elizabeth Maxwell smiles around at the others, laughing softly at that, and scooping Amanda out of her chair, gently patting her back. Follow your nose... it /always/ knows! That's Pyotr's line of thinking, anyways. He could smell the cooking all the way from the lab downstairs (and will REALLY have to speak with Elizabeth about hermetically sealing the place.). He ambles into the kitchen, small jewelers magnifiers clipped to the rim of his glasses. "Whot IS that smell?" he asks, smacking his lips. Alexis Ayala looks up from her drink, "How rude!" she says, smirking as she looks to Pyotr's entrance. Heather O'Leary is sitting in front of a large bowl of Salad (Might be enough for 4). In the oven are two pans, one almost over flowing with Homemade fries, the other, about half full of Homemade Chicken Strips. Heather answers Pyotr, indicating the Oven "Homemade Chicken strips and fries. Help yourself." She glances at Josh, the two year old boy, eat his second Strip. She steals a French Fry from the youngster, winking at him. Martin Grace continues to heat the arepas on the griddle, ignoring the hustle and bustle for now. Pyotr Zagadka oooohs and likes the sound of that 'help yourself' part. He waves to Alexis and is about to walkover to the food when... Wait a second,.. Kids? He blinks once and scratches his head. "I must have missed something." he murmurs. Josh says loudly to Heather, "Heaher? LOTS o peepl... is OK?" Alexis Ayala giggles, "Pyotr is good people." she says, eating her chicken strips and such. Little Amanda coos a little as her back is patted, and softly burps on Elizabeth's shoulder, causing her to bounce the little girl a little, holding her tightly. "Good girl..." "Pee-tor?" is Josh's... Well, LOUD response. Heather says to him softly, "Josh, a little softer, OK?" Pyotr Zagadka blinks again. "I good people?" he asks in that slightly clipped, thick Russian accent of his. "Wow. Thank you." he says with a chuckle. He walks over to Josh and sits on his haunches, readjusting his glasses and the little magnifying lenses on their clip on hinges and pushing that single lock of white hair in his dark red mop from his eyes. "Pleasure meet you, Josh." he says. Josh looks at 'Pee-tor, and extends his hand, "Shake" he insists. Pyotr Zagadka looks at the hand.. and laughing good heartedly takes the little boys hand in his calloused one and gently shakes it. Alexis Ayala grins and watches Pyotr and Josh interacting. She smiles a bit and turns back to her food quietly, enjoying her meal. Heather O'Leary smiles slightly, watching the scene unfold. She looks over at Liz, and smiles. "That's a good boy, Josh." Martin Grace turns the cornmeal 'cakes' over, griddling the other side to the same golden brown as the done side. Heather O'Leary says, "Angel... Heather. Just so you know... In the stables are some cages of food for you. Live. I brought them back from Mount Wilson this afternoon." Pyotr Zagadka stands and runs his fingers through his hair, smiling at the.. domestic scene within the kitchen. All that is missing is someone's babushka. He grabs one of the paper plates and waits for the food to be ready like a good soldier. Heather O'Leary says to Pyotr, after speaking into her radio, to let Angel know that she supplied food for everyone, including Angel, "Pyotr, the food is done. Help yourself. Just be careful, the pans are a little hot." Angelica's voice drifts over the radio, very softly. "Thanks..." She pauses. "I hope no one else listening to this is eating?" Michael Donovan drifts into the room, apparently lured out of isolation by the smell of home cooking. There's still something in his gaze that seems to land somewhere in the middle of uncertain and disconnected. Still, upon seeing everyone gathered and chatting and interacting so animatedly, the whole scene strikes him as refreshingly... normal after everything that's happened. He somehow manages a smile at that. Alexis Ayala smiles, "I'm thinking of going to the range to shoot Soda Cans again when I'm done, you're welcome to join me Pyotr." she says, taking a sip from her drink and then moving on to chicken. Pyotr Zagadka looks over at Alexis and uuuhs.. then nods, smiling. "Sure. May do that, da" he says. He thanks Heather and carefully gets himself a few strips... and some of those golden fries. Heather O'Leary frowns, "Soda cans? We have a perfectly good Target out there...." She shrugs, and turns to glance around. She sees Mike and her face pales, loosing all color. She quickly turns back to her salad, and makes a show of twirling the lettuce and other stuff in it, around, but making no move to actually take a bite. Martin Grace flips the arepas one more time, and begins to slide them onto a plate. Elizabeth Maxwell walks over, still holding Amanda, and gets a chicken strip for herself. She pauses as Heather plays with her food, leaning over to pet her on the shoulder gently. Alexis Ayala hmms, thoughtful for a moment, though she continues eating, and every few moments looks over to see how the kids are doing. Michael Donovan raises his eyebrows when he sees the kids. While there were very subtle hints to him about their presence on the ranch, it seems no one ever out and told him about them. Still, he doesn't seem very upset about that. Or very anything about anything for that matter. Martin Grace brings the plate of arepas to the table, finding his way to a place with enough room. "Mike, if you can deal with grease and gooey cheese, help yourself." Pyotr Zagadka settles down at the table and starts methodically stripping meet from one of the strips, eating quietly. Heather O'Leary glances at Liz, and than, back to Mike, making that obvious. Softly, but audible to Donovan, comes her voice, "There is... Chicken strips and Fries... Homemade... if you want something I... touched..." Damn, not the best way to phrase things, now is it? Alexis Ayala nods, "There's food, food, and um, yah, more food." she says, grinning. She is finishing up on her Chicken strips, though she moves to her fries soon enough. Elizabeth Maxwell sighs very softly at Heather, shaking her head, and leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. Then she eats her chicken strip. Pyotr Zagadka is about to reach for one of his fries when he realizes he is missing something. "Is there any mayonnaise?" he asks. Heather O'Leary nods, "Or homemade Honey Mustard Sauce.... or Ranch Dip if you'd prefer?" Sure, she can talk to the others, but how to tell Mike how sorry she is for what she did? Michael Donovan manages to keep up the pleasant facade. "Grease and gooey cheese," he answers Martin. "Aren't those two of the four major food groups?" Gradually, he helps himself to both the arepas and the stuff that Heather seems to think he believes is tainted just because she prepared it. Pyotr Zagadka ahhhhs. "Nyet, Mayonnaise is good." he stands and grabs the jar from the refrigerator and drops two medium dollops on the side of his plate. After he returns the jar to the fridge he sits down and starts dipping his fries in the mayo. Elizabeth Maxwell's voice slips in Heather's Mind again. "Dealing with that issue should be done more privately, later. I'll stay with you through it, but... it shouldn't be in front of all the others. And... eat your food, honey. Or I might just try feeding you like I did Amanda." Alexis Ayala perks up, looking to Pyotr, "Pyotr, what did we agree were the major food groups?" Heather O'Leary smirks at Liz, and says, "I wouldn't let you." Sure, out of the blue. No sound came from Elizabeth. She glances at Alex, "Dr. Pepper, Salad, Salad Fixings, and... Brownies?" Pyotr Zagadka eats a few fries then looks up at Alexis.... "I don't remember." he says, looking peeved at that, actually. Damn his brain. Damn that neurologically damaging homemade spirits. "Uhm.. I think was Cheese, Chocolate, And.....Slim Jims." Martin Grace is about to respond to Michael when Alexis kicks in with the question to Pyotr. He waits while cutting an arepa in half. Then nibbling. Then says "Coffee, Chocolate, Garlic, and Everything Else." Alexis Ayala makes a face, "Yick! Slim Jims, remember that, I told you they weren't a food group." she says, shaking her head, Slim Jims, yuck." Pyotr Zagadka looks all innocent. "Slim Jims food of Gods." he says. "or any other jerky beef product." he amends quickly. Then he looks to Martin and nods. "DA! Coffee.. or at least Caffeine." Elizabeth Maxwell raises her eyebrows at Heather, grinning a little at her after that, and glancing to the others. "Mountain Dew is a food group unto itself, for the important use it has." Alexis Ayala grins, "Da, reducing the size of the gene pool." she says with a smirk. Heather O'Leary watches Donovan, out of the corner of her eye. She than smirks at Elizabeth, "Mountain Dew has two uses. One, as a way to convince me not to kiss you. And Two... for drinking for caffeine, only if the Dr. Pepper, Coke, Pepsi, Coffee, Tea, and everything else is gone." She is teasing, as she has been known to drink one from time to time. Martin Grace says, "Comparing a Slim Jim to real beef jerky is like comparing a frozen mini egg-roll from the supermarket to one you get in the Chinese restaurant. You think you like it until you've had the real thing, then you want to kick yourself for all the times you've eaten one." He says this flatly, and then washes down some arepa with a swig of beer. "Get yourself a smoker, for the two hundred bucks, buy the meat fresh, and make your own jerky." Pyotr Zagadka makes a face. "I will stick with slim jims." he says and looks back to Alexis. "Gene Pool needed refilling anyways." he jokes. Michael Donovan seems to have foregone the use of condiments for this particular meal and sets about just digging in. Maybe it's because when he was growing up, he was always lectured about not drowning a perfectly good home-cooked meal in ketchup, mustard, dressing or whatever. Either that, or he's really just that hungry. Elizabeth Maxwell grins at Heather and laughs, getting one out for herself quickly. "Mm hmm..." She laughs and rolls her eyes. "It's not just caffeine, its the level of caffeine, and the sugar, anyway." She takes a single drink of one, and hmms, glancing at little Amanda and petting her back again softly. Alexis Ayala briefly thinks of Lizard jerky, and then blinks, looking to Pyotr, "I don't like Dew, and I don't like Slim Jim's, nowhere near as good as real Jerky, though I'd like to say a Smoker isn't a bad idea..." Heather O'Leary glances at Alexis, "I think there is one in the Old Barn...." Pyotr Zagadka frowns at this. "This is ranch, not farm.... So why a smoker around here? Not to make Horse jerky, I hope." Heather O'Leary shakes her head, "To cook brisquit, Ribs... That kind of thing." Elizabeth Maxwell nods a little at Heather at that. "Yeah. At some times, we have more than just horses here... Not at the moment, but..." Martin Grace says, "There's always hunting." Heather O'Leary nods slightly, "Deer Jerky's not too bad..." She shrugs, "Plus, I was thinking of getting some cattle...." Pyotr Zagadka sighs. "I wish we get Reindeer... or Moose here." he says as he finishes his chicken. Martin Grace says, "To graze, or to disguise us in case of an aerial pass-over by troopers looking for signs of ... us?" Elizabeth Maxwell pauses at Heather and raises her eyebrows, considering that. "I thought you were only planning to get dairy cattle, though. At least last time we talked about it..." Alexis Ayala hmms at that, and is finished with her fries, she looks to the kids once, ad takes a sip of her drink, listening quietly for now. Heather O'Leary shrugs. "Both Martin... Not to mention, fresh Milk.... And, I talked to one of the Ranchers nearby... He'll trade us fresh milk for butchering any Cows we want for food..." She pauses, and glances at the Kids. Josh has curled up in the chair, stopped eating, and fallen Asleep. Amanda, well, shes only 6 months old. She eats, She coos, she makes dirty diapers, but mostly, she sleeps a lot. Pyotr Zagadka looks over at the sleeping little boy and, he guesses, his sister. He gets a strange look in his eyes.. a wistful look, and sighs. He finishes his last fry and, standing, dumps his dirty plate into a trashcan. Martin Grace nods. "Right. Fair enough." He rises, taking the plate to the sink. "I'm heading out, myself. My cigar calls. See you all later." Heather O'Leary nods slightly to Martin, "See ya..." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles at that, still holding Amanda, in fact, trying to make sure the girl is held, by something or someone at least a little warmer than room temperature. She glances to the sleeping little girl, and sits into a chair, letting her sleep. "Oh... didn't know you'd talked to them already." Heather O'Leary nods, "This morning, on my run. The next ranch is only 5 miles north of here." The town, on the other hand, is about 3 miles south. Alexis Ayala gets up and moves over to the sink to rinse off her plate and rinse out her glass. She smiles, "I'll be out in the pasture." she says. Pyotr Zagadka watches people leave and is about to leave himself.. but first he needs a bottle of beer. And he should have one left in the fridge.. unless someone grabbed it. Heather O'Leary watches as the diners head for places else. She tries to make light of it, "What? Do I smell?" Elizabeth Maxwell shakes her head. "Naw. Just people getting done eating, and wanting to go off to their personal lives." She glances at where Alex left, and towards Pyotr, then back to Heather, as some indication. Michael Donovan shrugs at that and smiles again, "Sign of the culture we live in, Heather. Most people only stop what they're doing long enough to eat, and then they're back at it again." Surprisingly cynical view from Mr. Donovan. Heather O'Leary glances at Mike, and Liz, than shrugs, "Or maybe it is a sign that Little Mandy needs a diaper change." She looks over to Amanda, and tries to see. Elizabeth Maxwell laughs /just/ a little at that, and tries to check as well, being the one holding her. Michael Donovan shrugs again, a slight grimace on his face. "There could be that too..." Mandy is clean... for once. Pyotr Zagadka finds his beer hidden behind what looks like a melon of some sort, then closes the fridge and stands. He smiles to whom is left. "Thank you for wonderful Dinner, Heather." he says. Heather O'Leary smiles at Pyotr, "Anytime, Pyotr." Pyotr Zagadka gives a salute to all and head out. Elizabeth Maxwell slips Amanda back in her highchair, settling back into her seat then quietly. Heather O'Leary sees everyone is gone, except Mike and Liz. She stands up, and takes Josh to bed, Saying, "I'm going to put him down, for the night, than Mandy... You two eat. I'll be right back." And in fact, she is. To get Amanda. Michael Donovan looks over at the remnants of the night's cooking. "If you don't mind, I think I'll put together a plate for Julie. If she wants to eat." He pulls himself upright. Heather O'Leary nods slightly, "Actually Mike..." Did she just call him Mike?, "I do mind. There is a special Plate for her, in the Oven... I made sure to make stuff like I heard she liked... and in the Freezer, two Chocolate bars... just for her..." Elizabeth Maxwell hmms at Mike, looking up at him for a moment and sighing, especially as she hears Heather, with a slight nod towards her. Michael Donovan puts up his hands in sort of mock-surrender, as if he's been caught in the middle of something. He sits back down and says, "Um. Thanks." Heather O'Leary shakes her head, "I meant, take from the plate hidden behind the pans... That is what I made for Julie." She sighs, she can't say, or do anything right tonight. "What was made for me?" Julie wonders as she steps into the kitchen, looking properly pressed and done up for the day. Any bruises, or marks, that had been visible before are now either covered by clothing, or under a well-done application of makeup, it seems. Heather O'Leary bites her lip, and closes her eyes, as Julie speaks. "There is... There is a plate of specially seasoned Chicken Strips and Fries in the oven.... I... I asked Elias what spices you liked... Made it special for you..." Sure, ask her to accept your apology, when the bribe is... CHICKEN STRIPS! What apology? Julie nods slightly, offering Heather a faint smile as she moves over towards the oven, after collecting a plate for herself. "That sounds good...we don't have any salad to go with it, do we?" Elizabeth Maxwell glances up as Julie speaks, biting her lip softly and looking up to her, speaking very softly. "Hello, Julie." Heather O'Leary offers up the bowl of salad she was eating. It is big enough for 4. Lettuce, Carrots, a few crotons, cheese, cheddar and Parmesan. Also a light trace of Ranch dressing. Some Bacon Bits, and the remainders of Sliced Egg, also, two kinds of meat. One the Chicken strips, the other, Diced Ham. "I've eaten my fill..." Yes, her appetite left when Mike came in, and now, what might have come back is gone. As for the apology, it is of the unspoken kind, and she hadn't put the bribe out yet. Michael Donovan looks somewhat relieved that hunger seems to have worked its magic on Julie and him both. Trying to hand-feed her would probably have been somewhat disastrous. Heather O'Leary takes Amanda to bed. Juliet Parrish smiles softly at Mike as she passes him before flashing a grin at Liz. "Evening, Liz." she responds cheerfully, collecting her bribery-based chicken fingers. Mmm. Elizabeth Maxwell offers a smile to Julie, though it only goes to the mouth, the eyes still looking at her with worry. Juliet Parrish moves over to collect some salad for herself, arching an eyebrow at Liz. "Something bothering you, Elizabeth?" she wonders lightly, scooping a decent helping of lettuce over onto her plate. Michael Donovan gives Julie a smile right back, one that seems genuine enough, albeit maybe a little on the fleeting side. Elizabeth Maxwell bites her lip just a little bit, looking up worriedly. "Are you... all right?" "Why wouldn't I be?" comes Julie's, perhaps unexpected, reply as she lifts a spare hunk of ham into her mouth. Michael Donovan quickly stuffs some of the remaining contents of his plate into his mouth, perhaps to avoid being the one that answers that question. Elizabeth Maxwell tilts her head forward slightly at Julie, just /looking/ at her, then. "I'm too nice to go down the list." Juliet Parrish shakes her head slightly, smiling at Elizabeth. "I'm fine, Liz, honestly." She is just not going to get into it. Because if she doesn't get into it, she doesn't have to think about it, and if she doesn't have to think about it, she doesn't have to feel it. Yeah, Mike sure is hungry. He seems to be going out of his way now more than ever to keep his mouth full. Elizabeth Maxwell mm-hmms, still looking up at Julie in a less than convinced manner. "If you say so, I will not be the one to dispute it." Juliet Parrish nods, as she moves back to the table, claiming a seat for herself. "Oh, Liz, can you grab me the BBQ sauce?" Elizabeth Maxwell nods a little bit, slipping to the fridge, and digging it out without saying a word, pausing just a little, then pulling it out, and walking over to her with it. Juliet Parrish accepts the sauce, popping the top and pouring a decent amount onto her plate, gotta dip those fingers! "Thanks." Michael Donovan finally swallows, although probably a bit harder than he had meant to. Elizabeth Maxwell settles back into her chair, drinking her dew, only glancing at dipping the fingers for a brief moment. Yup. Dip dip dip, bite, chew, swallow. Repeat. Julie continues to eat her dinner now, without a word. Elizabeth Maxwell glances back at the chicken finger eating, pauses just a moment in her dew drinking, before resuming, and looking about again, glancing over to Mike idly at this point. Heather O'Leary comes back into the Kitchen, having had to sing Amanda a lullaby, to get her down to sleep, with no fuss. She pauses, and watches the Eating of Julie, and the looks Liz is giving Julie, and her face falls. She thought maybe everything was going to be Ok. Softly she says, "Julie.... I... I know this seems like a stupid thing to say, but I'm... I'm sorry... I wish I could have stopped Bates..." Or at the very least, kept her cover intact. Juliet Parrish arches an eyebrow, looking up at the sudden comment from Heather. She chews, though a bit more slowly, as she listens to her. "Heather...I'm fine." she insists, quietly, before offering a smile. "Sit, eat...your salad is great." Michael Donovan looks down at his plate which is now remarkably empty. Guess that's what happens when one's last several bites were of the steam-shovel variety. He quietly gets up and takes his plate to the sink. Elizabeth Maxwell glances between the other three, still silent, though she looks up at Heather then, in the silence. She just takes a drink of her soda for now. Heather O'Leary bites her lip, nodding once about the salad, not about Julie's being fine. "Julie... Remember, I *saw*..." She pauses, and shakes her head, "Never mind...." Hell, she doesn't want to remind Julie of anything. Better to just try and leave things alone. She does look at Elizabeth, a little flash of helplessness in her eyes. Juliet Parrish closes her eyes for a moment, her smile sticking in place before she, too, stands to move over towards the sink. She pulls open the door below, to throw out what's left of her meal, before setting her plate in the sink and moving to rinse it off. Michael Donovan steps aside after having rinsed his plate off (rare as that sort of thing is for a guy) and leaves the water running for Julie. Elizabeth Maxwell slips up to Heather, to hug her softly, sighing very slightly then, and stroking her hair. Green eyes are quickly hidden by closed Lids. The woman chef of the night suddenly feels very horrible about having said a word. Juliet Parrish remains quiet as she rinses her plate, before shutting off the water and setting it on the counter for whenever dishes will be done. "So." she offers after a long moment, not turning away from the sink. "Who wants to watch a movie?" Michael Donovan shrugs non-committally. "Works for me," he answers, perhaps a bit too vaguely. Elizabeth Maxwell holds onto Heather tightly, sighing and shaking her head. "Maybe I should go.. they don't know, so might..." she trails off and just looks at Heather. Elizabeth Maxwell's voice continues without her mouth moving, and only in Heather's mind. "They might be trying to protect me, not knowing that I saw all of it, at least partially. I wasn't in the room, after all." Green eyes are opened, as a voice rings in her head. She shakes her head, "No Elizabeth." Her voice is shaky and she says softly, "If anyone should go, it is I... the one that caused this...." Juliet Parrish spins as Elizabeth and Heather continue. "Stop it, both of you!" she snaps, blue eyes bright as she stares at them, silently pleading, begging them to understand. "Please...I'm fine. Alright? Mike's fine, I'm fine...we all just need to get on with our lives." Michael Donovan turns to face everyone else, quick to take Julie's side in all of this, "No one's going anywhere, alright? If this place is going to keep running, we can't have people taking the blame on themselves and resigning left and right." Mouth opens, than closes, than opens, and finally closes again. Is it a fish? No, it is Heather. Confused, she turns, and walks away, "Fine... I will let you get on with your life...." She sighs, knowing it is an act from Julie, it has to be. She'll let Julie fake it, if she wants, but there is no way Heather can stomach watching Julie rip herself apart, by denying it. Of course, Mike might have some say in that, "However, I'm just sorry I took you in at all.... I should have brought you back... It is not like your time in Bates' hands was worth anything... My cover was blown. I'll be... in the stables." Elizabeth Maxwell glances over to Mike. "That is... exactly the point, Mike. Until things are talked out, people are going to be taking the blame on themselves, and I would worry about the other matter." She falls silent then, and slips back. "I will come with you, Heather." Juliet Parrish doesn't say a word as Heather and Liz turn and leave. She knew what happened was bad, but...now they can't even stand to be around her for long. What does the rest of the resistance, those she wasn't close to, think? Slowly, the Doctor's knees bend, and she sinks to the floor of the kitchen, back against the cupboards. ATTRIBUTE CHECK: NAME: Heather O'Leary ATTRIBUTE: Perception SUCCESS Michael Donovan looks over at Julie as she begins to falter. "Julie? Julie!" He bends down to follow her floorward descent. "Julie, sweetheart, it's okay..." Heather O'Leary's ears pick up the sound of Julie's collapse, or at least, of the cupboards rattling. She turns, and looks back. Moving to Julie, she sinks to her knees next to her, and says softly, "Julie... Please... don't blame yourself for how I am acting... I... I failed you, and I... I just want you to know how sorry I am that... everything happened." Elizabeth Maxwell sighs very softly. "I should be the one taking blame for loss of the cover. After what happened to her, I was not going to allow her to go back in and potentially subject herself to it /again/, rather than her being shot during the rescue, to maintain her cover." "Neither of you can take the blame. You did what you had to do. So do me a favor, and -stop-." Juliet rests her head in her hands, not lifting it even as both Mike and Heather come over to her. Michael Donovan hazards an arm around Julie, to offer -some- measure of comfort. He does so for the others too, albeit a bit more bluntly. "Look. Nobody's dead, so let's get past this, okay?" Not 'nobody got hurt', because that would be a gross exaggeration. Heather O'Leary sighs softly, "All right Julie... but you have to return us that favor. Don't blame yourself." Sure, like she'd believe it if Julie said it, and like she herself is being truthful? Elizabeth Maxwell gives Heather a look then, frowning. "You are both going to have to stop blaming yourselves. It was a matter of circumstances beyond control of anyone here, not the 'fault' of anyone." Juliet Parrish simply sits there, her head in her hands, not actually answering the others. But hey, at least she's not in tears? Michael Donovan remains huggily supportive of poor Julie, his own point having been explicitly made. Heather O'Leary sighs and stands up, needing to hear the answer from Julie, at least so she could fell better. All she says is... "Julie, I'm sorry I touched you... that was unforgivable of me..." She moves to stand near the backdoor, staring out into the night. Elizabeth Maxwell sighs at that, hugging Heather, walking over to her, to keep her hugged and supported as well. Juliet Parrish sighs softly, slowly pushing up against the cupboards, rising to her feet. "Good night," she mumbles, to no one in particular. What a difference the Julie heading towards the door is, with her slumped shoulders and downcast eyes, from the outwardly cheery Julie that came in ATTRIBUTE CHECK: NAME: Heather O'Leary ATTRIBUTE: Willpower SUCCESS Michael Donovan is still crouched on the floor by himself for all of about two seconds before he gets up again and starts to head after Julie. Heather O'Leary is able to keep the tears of pain, at having caused Julie to downslide back, but only by punching the wall. Hard. Time to remodel the kitchen? Well, it is now... there is a hole in the wall... and what part of her hand that is not in the wall, shows some small traces of blood. Juliet Parrish hears the flesh connecting with the wall, flinching slightly as she takes a quick double step before stifling the urge to bolt. She simply continues to leave the room. Heather doesn't need her around right now, that much is clear. Elizabeth Maxwell sighs and shivers at Heather, wrapping arms around more tightly around her waist, at seeing the hole, frowning and shaking her head as Julie walks off. Heather O'Leary just stares at her hand, and than the hole. Damn. Blood... She gingerly pulls her hand out, and looks at it. Nothing broken, except the skin. Elizabeth Maxwell sighs a little at the hand, taking hold of it, and looking at the broken skin, to see how bad the cuts are, getting a paper towel wetted to clean it up with. Heather O'Leary's hand is covered with the powder from busted drywall, but the cuts are minor. She stares at her hand, than the wall, and she says, softly, "Dammit.... I'm sorry Liz'Beth." Elizabeth Maxwell hugs Heather tightly, stroking her hair. "It's all right... the wall is easy to fix..." She frowns at the hand, trying to clean it up. "You, however, aren't." She kisses Heather's cheek, and sighs softly. Heather O'Leary smirks, "It'll heal...." She is talking about her hand, isn't she? Elizabeth Maxwell sighs and hugs gently. "Some things take help to heal, honey. You know that..." She kisses softly and strokes hair. "You have to remember, Julie is in a far worse condition... she'll need more time before she's ready to argue about blame. Tyler was going to get one of the shrinks here from out east, I know..." Heather O'Leary shrugs, "You saw her act tonight... Right?" Heather decides to ignore the hand, she can act too. "I... I am sorry I said anything, but... I..." She shakes her head, unsure of what she did, or why she did it. Elizabeth Maxwell sighs a little and shakes her head. "Her act is just that. an act. Which isn't going to last forever, before she has a breakdown that's worse. I'm /hoping/ that Donovan realizes that, if he doesn't, I /may/ have to remind him, less than gently." Heather O'Leary says softly, "He was acting too... Acting like he wasn't angry at me." Blame, Blame... The Blame on the Ranch stays mainly on Heather... in her mind. Elizabeth Maxwell sighs and shakes her head. "Not everyone blames you for everything. You need to get over yourself enough to know that you're not responsible for all that happens." Heather O'Leary says softly, "Why not. I agreed to take them in...." Elizabeth Maxwell tilts her head forward. "And they agreed to go in, knowing there would be potentially serious risks or complications involved." Heather O'Leary sighs, "Liz.... They went through it for *nothing*" Ahh, the root of the problem. Tears fall from her eyes, and her voice shakes, "I couldn't even stop myself from getting raped, and my cover was blown, because I couldn't... So they were there for no reason. It is my fault everything happened, for nothing." Elizabeth Maxwell sighs and shakes her head. "No one could /know/ you were going to get raped. No one can see the future. I'm sorry that's so, but it is. Not them, not you, not me. You could not have realized what would happen." Heather O'Leary just nods, not really convinced, but she doesn't want to talk more about it. Elizabeth Maxwell sighs and turns her head away. "I should do a load of wash, and possibly run errands. Do call me if you decide to stop piling the blame on yourself at some point." Heather O'Leary closes her eyes, and more tears fall, but she can't stop blaming herself. Might take a bit to get to that point... She just nods, and turns towards the bedroom, to change into her running clothes, and to stop in the living room, to ask Willie to keep an eye on the kids for her. LOG ENDS Category:Log Category:RATED-PG-13